KUALA LUMPUR: Any proposal to hold the 16th General Election (GE16) concurrently with the Melaka and Johor state elections will depend on the current political situation and the consent of the Rulers and the Yang Dipertua Negeri, said Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said that although the administrative terms of Melaka and Johor will end soon, the decision to dissolve the state assemblies rests with the heads of state, based on the advice of the Menteri Besar and Chief Minister.
"For me, this matter is subject to the consent of the Rulers and the TYT (Yang Dipertua Negeri), who, on the advice of the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister, have the power to dissolve the state assemblies.
"Of course, it also depends on the funds available to the Election Commission (EC) to conduct the state elections.
"The cost is very high, and even if held simultaneously, similar expenditure would be incurred, aside from considerations of timing and suitability,” he said in an interview here on Sunday (May 3) in conjunction with Umno’s 80th anniversary.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Umno president, said his party and Barisan Nasional machinery are always on standby to face the possibility of elections at any time.
However, he reminded party members not to be complacent, as support from Umno members and component parties alone does not guarantee an outright victory.
"We must reach out to and embrace support from non-partisan individuals or those who are not members of any party, or who may not be interested but are convinced by the agenda we are putting forward for the benefit of all communities in the respective states or in the state constituencies where we will field our candidates,” he said.
The Melaka State Legislative Assembly term is scheduled to end on Dec 27 if not dissolved earlier, while Johor’s is on April 21 next year.
Under the law, the EC has up to 60 days after dissolution to hold elections. This means the Melaka state election must be held by around February 2027 at the latest, while Johor’s would be around June 2027 if the dissolution occurs automatically. — Bernama
